tomato
Vegetables
Is tomato aip-compatible?
See whether tomato fits an aip diet, with a clear compatible-or-avoid verdict plus its FODMAP, histamine and other trigger ratings in one place.
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Compare tomato across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why aip diet checker matters
The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is an elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation and heal the gut in people with autoimmune conditions. It removes grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and nightshades during the elimination phase.
- Elimination phase removes all potentially inflammatory foods
- Focus on nutrient-dense foods: organ meats, bone broth, vegetables
- Reintroduce foods one at a time after 30-90 days
- Sleep, stress management, and movement are part of the protocol
- Work with a practitioner experienced in autoimmune protocols
Sensitivities
What tomato contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where tomato fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about tomato
Tomato is flagged on more independent axes than almost any other everyday vegetable, and the mechanisms are constantly mistaken for each other. It is a nightshade, our highest grade there, carrying the glycoalkaloids that concentrate in unripe green fruit, stems and leaves. Separately it is one of the richest natural sources of free glutamate, which is exactly why it tastes savoury and why it turns up in MSG-sensitivity reports. Separately again it grades high for histamine and high as a histamine liberator, and high for salicylates, with moderate oxalate and high lectin content in the seeds and skin. What it is not is a FODMAP problem: it rates only moderate there and clean on fructans, lactose, gluten, nickel and sulfites. And despite the nightshade reputation, tomato grades strongly anti-inflammatory, so nightshade avoidance is an individual sensitivity question rather than a general claim that tomato is inflammatory.
Watch for
- A nightshade at our highest grade, and not compliant with autoimmune protocol.The glycoalkaloids concentrate in unripe green fruit, stems and leaves, so under-ripe tomatoes carry more than fully red ones
- One of the highest natural free-glutamate foods there is.Reducing tomato into paste, passata or sun-dried pieces concentrates it further, which is why a rich sauce reads far more umami and MSG-like than a fresh slice
- High for histamine and a strong liberator on top of that.Cooked, tinned and jarred tomato products grade worse than fresh fruit, with tomato sauce reaching our top histamine grade
- High in salicylates, moderate in oxalate and high in lectins.The lectins sit in the seeds and skin, so deseeding and peeling reduce the load without removing it
- Only moderate on FODMAPs and clean on fructans, gluten, lactose, nickel and sulfites, so if tomato reliably bothers you the cause is nearly always one of the nightshade, histamine, glutamate or salicylate routes rather than fermentation
- Rates strongly anti-inflammatory in its own right, largely from lycopene, so a nightshade reaction is a personal sensitivity rather than evidence that tomato is an inflammatory food
Explore related in Vegetables
Compare similar foods to build a personalized list of swaps that work for your system.
AIP Guide
Everything you need to know about aip compatibility and smart food choices.
The Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is an elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation and heal the gut in people with autoimmune conditions. It removes grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and nightshades during the elimination phase.
Practical guidance for following a AIP diet:
- 1Elimination phase removes all potentially inflammatory foods
- 2Focus on nutrient-dense foods: organ meats, bone broth, vegetables
- 3Reintroduce foods one at a time after 30-90 days
- 4Sleep, stress management, and movement are part of the protocol
- 5Work with a practitioner experienced in autoimmune protocols
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
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Get the AppFAQ
Does tomato fit an aip diet?
AIP: avoid for strict plans.
What if I eat it occasionally?
Occasional use may break strict plans.
What are safer swaps?
Compare within the Vegetables group.